Tuft-cleaning brush.



1 H a 7 h H v 2 bh P ,0 m. a Mi APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1902 W. T. ROLPH 8: H. R. KUE-RSTEN. TUFT CLEANING BRUSH I No. 738,487.

no MODEL.

Mfncsscs U ITED STATES- Eatented September 8, 1903,

PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM T. ROLPH AND HUGO R. KUERSTEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID KUERSTEN ASSIGNOR TO SAID ROLPH.

TUFT-CLEANING BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,487, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed September 16, 1902. Serial No. 123.579. (No model.)

T at whom 1125 may concern.- 7

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. RoLPH and IIUGO R. KUERsTEN, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuft-Oleaning Brushes, of which the The invention consists, further, in the con structions and combinations hereinafter de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a partial vertical section of a brush embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing 2 5 a modified construction. Fig. 3 is a detailed section of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 2 represents the brushhead, and 3 the bristles or fibers thereof. The head is provided with the central stud 4L, pref- 0 erably proVided with the block 5 at its lower end, said block being eoncaved at the bottom to permit it to rest firmly upon one of the buttons 6 of the article to be cleaned.

Any suitable means maybe used for rotat- 3 5 ing the brush, but we prefer to use a spirallygrooved shaft 7, secured to the brush-head 2 and having its upper end arrangedwithin a handle 8. A spiral spring 9 is arranged with in the handle and bears upon the upper end of the shaft 7, and this spring tends to hold the handle in an elevated position. At the lower end of the handle a sleeve 10 is provided, secured in position by means of suitable screws 11, and the shaft 7 is provided 5 with an enlarged head 12 above this sleeve, upon which the spring 9 rests. Suitable lugs 13, within the sleeve 10, engage the spiral groove in the shaft 7, so that as said sleeve 10 travels along the shaft said shaft is caused to rotate, and as the sleeve is reciprocated the shaft is rotated first in one direction and then in the other.

In using the device the block 5 is placed upon the top of one of the buttons within a tuft of the furniture. Pressure is then applied to the handle 8, and as this handle slides down over the shaft 7 against the tension of the spring 9 said shaft is rapidly revolved in one direction and the brush is re volved with it. \Vhen the sleeve has trav- 6o eled down to the lower part of the shaft 7, pressure is relieved and the spring 9 forces the handle 8 to raise, and thereby reverses the rotation of the shaft 7, causing the brush to rotate in the opposite direction. By moving the handle up and down a rapid rotation may be given to the brush, and thereby the depressure or tuft of the furniture may be rapidly cleaned, which could not be done with any ordinary brush.

In Fig. 2 we have shown a longer shaft 7 than that represented in Fig. 1 with a handle 14., adapted to be moved up and down on a shaft and provided with suitable studs or ribs 13, engaging the spiral groove in the shaft for the purpose of rotating said shaft and brush.

We do not limit ourselves to the details of the construction herein shown and described, as the same may obviously be varied without departing from our invention.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with a brush having a central stud adapted to rest upon a tuftingbutton, of a spirally-grooved shaft to which said brush is secured, anda sliding handle engaging said shaft and adapted to rotate said shaft and brush as it is reciprocated on said shaft.

2. The combination, with a suitable brushhead, of a central stud adapted to rest upon a tufting-button and forming a pivotal sup port for said brush, and means for rotating said brush, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a suitable brush provided with a central stud adapted to rest In witness whereof We have hereunto set upon a tufting-button, of a spirally-grooved our hands this 8th day of September, 1902. shaft to which said brush is secured, a recip- WILLIAM T. ROLPH. rocating handle 8 engaging said spiral shaft, HUGO R. KUERSTEN.

and a spring arranged Within said handle In presence of and bearing upon the end of said shaft, sub- G. J. BIEHL, stantially as described. 1 F. J SENG. 

